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Mai Takano
Mai Takano (高野 舞 Takano Mai) is Ryuji Takayama's student and possibly girlfriend. Mai has a minor role in the first novel and film but finds his body after Sadako kills him. She was played by Miki Nakatani in the films. Role Ring In the novel and the film, Mai plays a minor role. She is introduced when Ryuji and Kazuyuki Asakawa (Reiko Asakawa in the film) are examining the cursed videotape in Ryuji's house. Ryuji quickly hides the tape and takes his leave with Asakawa, Mai reminding him a science theory he is working on is due in to the university soon. Later, when Ryuji realises the tape must be passed on to escape the ring virus, which he has failed to accomplish. He telephones Mai but dies during the call. Mai arrives at his home and finds him dead. In the film, Reiko hears Ryuji's death over the phone and races to his house but learns he has already died. Reiko finds Mai outside Ryuji's apartment, on the floor in a state of shock, Reiko asking her if Ryuji said anything about the tape, before retreiving it from his apartment. Spiral Shortly after Ryuji's death, on November 5th, 1990, Mai finds his copy of the tape and watches it. However, she is affected differently by the virus, Sadako Yamamura's DNA going into her womb. Mai meets Mitsuo Ando, Ryuji's old colleague from his days in the medic profession. They investigate Ryuji's death and eventually sleep together. This causes Sadako's DNA to fuse with Ando's sperm and causes Sadako to be reborn, quickly growing inside Mai's womb at an alarming rate. By November 8th, Mai loses control of her body and Sadako marches her to the roof. By the 15h, Sadako forces Mai to give birth to herself, and Mai dies as a result. Concerned with Mai's disappearance, Ando goes to her apartment and spots Sadako, who resembles Mai, leaving her apartment. Mai's body is eventually found by the police on November 25th, mysteriously crammed into the building's ventilation system. Ring 2 In this film, Mai begins investigating the cause behind Ryuji's death and visits Reiko's workplace to get answers. She meets journalist Okazaki who accompanies her to explore Reiko's abandoned home, finding the burnt out remains of the videotape in her bath, causing Mai to be sick into the sink. They then receive a phone call that Reiko's father Koichi Asakawa has died, having actually watched the tape. Okazaki goes to Yoichi Asakawa's primary school, Mai waiting outside, where she sees a ghostly image of Yoichi silently asking for help. Mai and Okazaki learn of the tape and how it first affected Reiko's family, namely her niece Tomoko Oishi who was killed by Sadako. Tomoko's best friend Masami Kurahashi was hospitalised upon witnessing Tomoko's death, Mai and Okazaki going to visit her. Instead they meet Dr. Ishi Kawajiri, Masami's doctor who is fascinated with her developed psychic powers. Mai goes outside when she berates Kawajiri for not attending Ryuji's funeral, witnessing Masami being led out of her room. Masami causes a nearby TV to display images of the tape, causing a frenzy among patients. Mai grabs her hand but sees a flashback of Masami's encounter with Sadako. Mai jumps back in alarm, and upon returning home, she is horrified when she spots Sadako watching her from a window. Now without any sources to follow, Mai returns to one of the last places she met Ryuji but telepathically hears Reiko calling for Yoichi. She finds the mute boy nearby and is reunited with Reiko, offering to talk to Dr. Kawajiri about Yoichi's enhanced psychic powers. Mai goes to the hospital but finds Masami is being used in an experiment by Dr. Kawajiri to remove Sadako's powers. It backfires, and Masami is killed. Mai is confronted by Detective Keiji Omuta who is looking for Reiko and forced to give up her location when Kanae Sawaguchi is killed by Sadako. At the police station, Mai telepathically tells Yoichi to flee with his mother, giving chase. However, Reiko is hit by a truck on the way out, prompting Mai to escape with Yoichi. They go to Oshima Island, where Mai speaks with Takashi Yamamura, who takes her to the cave shrine where Shizuko Yamamura gave birth to Sadako many years ago. Mai senses something happening at Takashi's inn and runs back, reuniting with Dr. Kawajiri, both encountering a re-enactment of a young Sadako pulling a prank on Shizuko, but Mai rejects what she sees and destroys Shizuko's mirror. The next day, Dr. Kawajiri suggests retrying his experiment on Yoichi to remove Sadako's powers for good. At the swimming pool, Mai is used as a conductor to remove Yoichi's powers and disperse them into the pool. As the first time, it backfires and Dr. Kawajiri, his nurse Hayashi and Takashi are all killed. Mai and Yoichi awaken in Sadako's well. Yoichi allows himself to plunge into the murky water below, Mai following. When she surfaces, she is unable to find Yoichi, until the well's lid opens, a rope descends and the ghost of Ryuji appears in the well. He gives Yoichi to Mai and absorbs his son's angr, along with Sadako's remaining powers before telling them to climb the rope and escape. Mai carries Yoichi on her back and climbs the rope. However, she looks back down and sees Sadako appear. Sadako scales the wall and confronts Mai, asking her why she is allowed to escape, before falling back into the well. Mai and Yoichi escape the well and emerge in the swimming pool. They climb out and express their lack of fear now, knowing their loved ones are at presumed peace now. Gallery vlcsnap-2014-10-31-14h03m59s16.png|Mai Takano in Ring vlcsnap-2014-10-31-14h04m06s88.png|Reiko and Mai meet each other for the first time. vlcsnap-2014-10-31-14h04m30s66.png|Mai, vandalizing her professor's board vlcsnap-2014-10-31-14h04m58s91.png|Mai, after she found Ryuji dead maitakanoring22.png|Mai in Ring 2 ringu2_d.jpg|Mai, during Dr. Kawajiri's experiment. ringu23.png|Mai's encounter with Sadako in the well. Trivia *The woman screaming in some DVD covers of Ring 2 is Mai Takano. *Mai Takano always faint when she got scared. Category:Characters Category:Ring characters